Skin and bones
by Sketchy-storm
Summary: Alexandra was taken in by hydra, and turned into a freak. when her hydra base was taken down, she went to shield. Nick wants her on the avengers, but the avengers don't know what to do with her. OC, contains some bruce/natasha,
1. Chapter 1

_3 years ago_

 _The world is faded and gray; a world memory. of hands are slightly smaller. I am younger._

 _"A wolf."_

 _I change on command, hearing my bones crunch and feeling my own skin stretch. Within thirty seconds, I am on all fours, a layer of fur covering my body._

 _" An owl."_

 _I change again. The fur is pulled back into my skin and feathers pop out. I shrink until I am no longer large enough to bee seen easily in a bones become hollow. My large eyes see everything around me with rapid curiosity._

 _" A cat. Faster, this time, Alexandra. You are becoming slow."_

 _I try to change as fast as I can. I swell to double my size. Feathers gone, fur coming in. I Make my bones solid-_

 _I cry out, a mixture of a pained hoot of an owl and a yowl of a cat. I have done something wrong. A bone is poking out of one of my legs, and blood is spurting onto the concrete floor. someone starts to rush forward to help me._

 _"Stop!" He yells." Let her fix it on her own!"_

 _I hesitantly make the bone shrink back into my skin. The skin plasters itself down, and it quickly heals. I quickly change back into a human. Blood is dried on my right leg. I do not move to grab my robe, however. I stand in the middle of the mirrored room, naked._

 _"That was sloppy, Alexandra. Very sloppy. And what do we do with slobs?"_

 _I do not answer. A gaunt, pale hand flies toward my face, and I recoil upon the shock of the slap._

 _"Answer me, Alexandra. What do we do with slobs?" He hisses._

 _"We...We fix them." I whimper._

 _"That is right. Return to your room. We will try again tomorrow."_

 _I put on my robe and I am escorted back to my 'room'. It is truthfully nothing more than a prison cell. The door is rusted steel bars, the floor is concrete, and I sleep on a thin cotton mat. I have a pillow I earned after my first transformation. A blanket isn't needed; I normally sleep as a cat, and my thick fur keeps me warm at night._

 _My guard pushes me through the doorway and shuts my cell._

 _"Filthy animal." He mutters beneath his breath. I lay on my cotton mat and sleep._


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up and rolled over with a groan. My mouth tasted like catshit, and my hair was in a flurry around my head. Someone was knocking on my door.

"Alex, you awake? Fury wants you in his office in twenty. Ok?" Maria hill yelled through my door.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there. Just gimme a couple of minutes. Thanks, Agent." I called back.

What did Nick want me for? Normally he's was pacified as long as I was in training and getting through my courses fine. I normally had free reign around the carrier. Did I do something wrong?

I get out of bed and quickly pull on my uniform; Black sweatpants, white tee shirt. I stared at myself in the mirror.

Even though I was sixteen, my body was at the maturity of about a twelve year old. No breasts, no hips, and very little fat. I pull up my shirt and gaze at my pale stomach for a moment. My ribs are clearly visible, and a normal person could probably circle a finger and thumb around my wrists and ankles pretty easily.

I guess you could say I was just skin and bones.

This had concerned the nutritionist assigned to me. Poor girl had tried everything; Protein supplements, meals of just eggs and meat, and she even wanted to try giving me steroids. Nick wouldn't allow that. My body just can't hold any muscle.

I walked out of my room, leaving behind a pair of sneakers. I hated wearing shoes. The calluses on my feet are thick enough to start a match with. The only pair I can deal with wearing are my old pair of converse all stars. The damn things are so old that they're molded to my feet.

I stopped by the cafeteria and grabbed a bagel. I had just finished spreading a thick layer of cream cheese on when I ran into someone. Literally.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." Cream cheese was spread down the front of his shirt. I quickly grabbed a stack of napkins and started to wipe it off.

"It's fine, really." He said, staring down at the stain that was left behind. He had brown eyes and dark brown hair to match. He was wearing a purple button up and jeans, and he was carrying a briefcase. He looked up at me and smiled. "I have to buy new shirts all the time, so this isn't much of a problem."

"Alright... Oh, God, I'm gonna be late! I'm so, so sorry, but I have to go." I apologized.

"He glanced at his watch." Me too... I have a meeting about a new... er, coworker. I'll see you around, agent." And off he went.

I jogged down to Fury's office and opened the door.

"Hey sorry-" I started, but I quickly stopped. Someone other than Fury was already in the room. He had Black hair, a goatee, and cream colored suit on. Sunglasses shaded his eyes.

"-To barge in. I didn't know you already had someone in here." I was going to tell him I was sorry I was late; my escapade with the bagel had cost me fifteen minutes. I started to back out, a blush crawling up my neck.

"Wait, Agent Graves. This is actually the meeting I needed you for. Please, come in."

I came in and sat in a chair next to . "What do you need, Sir?" I asked. Mr. Moneybags chuckled.

"This is the kid, Fury?"

"Tony, I know she doesn't look like much-"

"Like much? Fury, she can't weigh more than a hundred pounds, soaking wet! And what's so special about her, huh?"

" Stark, I can't tell you that until Banner gets here. He is the one who I believe should be keeping his eye on her the most." Fury's face was set.

" What, you think I can't be responsible?" Tony Moneybags shot at him.

"No, actually, I don't."

"Director," I asked, "What's going on?" Mr.Moneybags was staring at me like I was a joke.

"I believe, agent Graves, that we have found a team for you." He paused. " A team where you could best use your skills."

"A team? What, like, team k?" I had been begging Fury to be on team K for awhile. They were a group of assassinators.

"This team is much more important then team K, agent. Do you remember the battle at Sokovia?"

Sokovia? That was where The Avengers took down Ultron. I had been on one platform, giving first aid to some of refugees from the city." Sir, what are you saying?" I asked, my voice shaking.

Before fury could answer, the door opened. The guy I had run into with my bagel earlier walked in."Sorry I'm late, I had to go change. Some kid ran-" He looked up and his sentence was cut off once he saw me. "Oh." we both uttered at the same time.

"Doctor Banner." Fury chuckled. "I see you two have already met?"

"Not under the best circumstances." I muttered.

"Doctor Banner, come have a seat. I was just explaining to agent Graves that she was joining the Avengers initiative."


	3. Chapter 3

I stared at my now empty room, with it's built it drawers empty and it's bed sheet-less. this room had been my home since-

No. Never mind. An image of Dory from finding Nemo popped into my mind.( Just keep swimming, just keep swimming,) and a knock was tapped onto the door.

"You ready to go?" Bruce called through my door. I sighed. I picked up my suitcase,(covered in bumper stickers and decals,) made sure my laces were tight on my sneakers, and opened my door.

To give Bruce some credit, he had tried being kind. He told me about the tower, and the shops and stores around it. When I didn't reply, we walked in silence. He could probably feel the nervousness coming off of me in waves. I didn't know what to expect when we got to the tower. More people judging me, like Stark? Or people who were reportedly 'happy to have me on the team' like Bruce? When we got closer to Stark's mini-carrier, I handed Bruce my bag.

" I'll be right back."

"What, did you forget something?"

"No, I, uh, need to go change. Tell Tony to start up the carrier. I'll be right back. Oh, and uh," I slipped off my shoes. "Can you take these with you?"

Bruce looked at me like I was crazy. " Ok... See you in a minute."

I ran back to my room and grabbed a book off of the shelf. After sliding it open, I grabbed my picture from it.

It was a one of those Kodak automatic pictures, with the thick white border around it. The words 'summer 1998' were scrawled along the bottom.

The picture was of a small baby,( Me, I think,) and a woman playing in the sand. She had long, black hair, not unlike mine, and bright blue eyes. My eyes were green.

I tucked the photo into my back pocket and ran back to the mini-carrier. Tony was standing outside of the jet, annoyance plastered onto his face.

"What took you so long?"

"I, uh, had to grab something. Sorry."

I couldn't take this.

The inside of the jet hummed enthusiastically, like it was too excited about life. I could feel the air pressure in my bones, and looking out of the window made me want to puke. I sat on the edge of my seat, my fingers white from holding onto the armrests so tight. I was leaned over, taking deep breaths.

"Kid, you ok?" Tony shouted back to me from the pilot's seat. I Laughed. "Just...just keep flying, Stark." I answered.I stood up and walked to the back of the jet, and I leaned against the wall.

And that's when the shit hit the fan.

I must have leaned against a lever or button or something; the hatch opened up that lets you walk or jump out of the jet. I screamed as I slid down the ramp.

"Shit!" I heard Stark scream. I just saw Bruce's face reach the ramp before I slid off.

Skydiving is a peculiar thing. You can't hear anything but wind whistling around your ears. You can't even hear yourself screaming.

 _Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck_ I thought. _fuckshit WINGS I need WINGS._

Even though I could feel the back of my shirt tearing, I still couldn't hear anything over the wind. I wasn't really flying, just creating a very slow descent.

 _Hollow bones, I'm not gonna get any air without hollow bones,_ I thought. And I just let it happen ,I guess. When the mind is gone, the instincts will take over. After that, I just tried to land safely. It wasn't easy; I sprained my ankle when I landed, and then I just kinda collapsed on the ground, trying to get my breath back. My wings were shielding me from the sun trying to land on my back. I heard footsteps coming from behind me. Stark and Bruce had landed the jet somewhere nearby.

"Shit," I heard Stark say. "She okay?" I felt hands on my back, trying to roll me over. I let them.

"Alex, wake up pal. Come on."Stark said, touching the side of my face. I coughed.

" Oh, Hell, if you do that again on my jet, I'm not flying you anywhere."

" Stark." Bruce said.

"I'm...I'm fine. Lets... head back to the jet. " I answered. I stood up. I looked back at my wings.

 _Sloppy._

They had too many joints. I started to try and get rid of them-

" Fuck! holy shit!"

" What's wrong?" Bruce and tony asked at the same time.

" I think I tore through my skin. God Damn! "

I was slowly able to pull my wings back, to the horrified eyes of stark. Bruce stood there, practically studying me. I reached back with my hand and touched just beneath my shoulder blades. Air hissed between my teeth. When I brought my fingers back, they were spotted with blood.

" You guys have a first aid kit on that thing?" I asked, tucking my hand in my pocket.

" No, but we can clean you up at the tower." Bruce said, turning towards the ship.

"Right. You know, almost dying, I forgot we were going there."


	4. Chapter 4

"Here's your room." Tony said, sliding the door open.

It. Was. Huge.

The walls were a spotless white, and the room was completely empty, but for a four poster bed. The blankets on it were red, and the pillows were gold. I felt something being pressed into my hand. Looking down, I saw Tony handing me a small, silver remote.

" Type in 1-3-6." He said, smiling kindly.

I did so. Invisible drawers shot from the wall.

"Now try 1-2-8." He said, leaning against the wall. The drawers closed, and a Giant TV screen popped into the air. It was see through, but it wasn't attached to anything.

" And, finally, click in 4-9-2."

I gasped. It seemed like a whole wall just vanished, leaving behind a glass window. I walked up to it.

"This has to be the best view in the city." I whispered.

"I know I look good, Alex, but don't flatter me." Tony said, walking up beside me. I rolled my eyes. "Way to ruin the moment, Stark." I looked around the room. " I know it's full of cool tech, and all, but isn't this room a bit... empty?"

" Oh, that. Well, we thought you'd have more stuff. Besides, you can fix that when you get your first paycheck."

"Paycheck?"

" Fury didn't tell you? You officially have a job now. You're an avenger. So, yeah, you get paid."

I looked back out the window." Nice."

Tony walked to the door. " Nat and Clint will probably be here in about an hour. You should get cleaned up. Steve will be here tomorrow, I think. Oh, and Thor is coming in next week. He had something on Asgard to fix, but he was particularly excited to meet you."

I stared at the streets below. "So, uh... How much is rent?"

Tony laughed. "I'm not too worried about money. Just help keep stuff nice around here. You should come down to floor 15 around...nine, I think. That's usually when we have dinner."

"You guys eat together?"

"We try to, although sometimes one of us is half way around the world." He walked out the door.

I went ahead and changed my shirt. After messing with the remote awhile, I was able to dim the lights. I plugged my phone up and turned on Pandora before collapsing on the bed.

My bed.

Man, what a hell of a thought.

"Mam?"

I groaned and rolled over. "Go away."

"Madam Graves, you must wake up. Master Stark has asked for you to come to dinner."

Madam?

I sat up and looked around the room. "Where are you? Who are you?"

" I am Jarvis. I Am Master Stark's butler. I, also, am a artificial intelligence."

"Ok, Jarvis, do me a favor. Speak English."

" I am a computer software Master Stark made to help take care of him and his house mates."

" Ah. You're a robot butler. Can Tony get any more Sci-Fi?"

"I doubt it, Madam."

I laughed. "Tell him I'll be right down."

As soon as I said that, the lights flicked on, and my window appeared. The sunset was amazing. The sky was brilliant shades of purple and red. I rolled out of bed and stretched.I Went to the bathroom ( there was one right off my bedroom,) and quickly brushed my hair. I walked to the elevator and hit the down button.

And, just my luck, someone was in there.

He was tall, much taller than me. He had golden blond hair, and bright blue eyes. Muscles rippled under his shirt.

Oh. Captain America. AKA, shield's golden boy.

Growing up in a shield facility, I had heard a ton about Steve. How amazing he was, what mission he was on, who he had saved.

It kinda made me sick.

Here this guy was, basically a living experiment, and he was able to go out and save the world. Why not me? Why had Fury kept me inside a glass cage, able to look outside and see what was happening, but never touch, never feel, never help?

I took a step back, surprised to see someone else in the elevator. Steve's eyes widened for a moment, before he smiled. "Going down?"

" Y-yeah." I stuttered. God. I was just too fuckin smooth for my own good. I stepped into the elevator.

"I think Nat got take out." He said, hitting the button for floor 15. "Either that or pizza. Everyone else is already down there. Oh, and what's your name?"

Yep, a true golden boy. Didn't even know me, but he acted like I could've been his best friend. "Alexandria." I said, trying to come off as confident. He nodded.

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open . I stepped out, my bare feet cold against the smooth floor. I followed Steve around a corner, into a room.

I had been able to hear them right when we got off the elevator, talking and laughing. The moment I walked in, it all fell into a deep silence. I could feel their eyes moving over my body, judging my worth. I looked down and walked over to the table. Grabbing a plate, I opened the first bag I saw. Natasha had gotten Pizza. I grabbed half a dozen slices before sitting down.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up, into the eyes of Bruce. "You good?"

I gave a sharp nod before stuffing a bite of pizza into my mouth. Slowly, people started talking again. It wasn't until a few minutes later that I heard Tony talking.

"…And then the door to the carrier opens, and She just jumps out!" He exclaimed.

"She fell. No one would just jump out of a jet, they'd be insane." Bruce said.

"Bruce, have you ever heard of the term 'sky diving'?"

"Anyway," Steve says, his eyes sparkling. Like he can't get enough of this.

" So we see her go down and I think, 'Fuck! We just got her, and she's already dead!'. So I follow her down and land nearby, and Brucie and I run over to where her body is."

"Do not," Bruce says, "Call me Brucie."

Tony ignores him. "So we go over," He says, his voice rising, "And she has wings coming out of her back!"

 _Freak_ , i can hear them thinking. _Freak,freak._

I can't take this. I stand up suddenly, knocking my chair back onto the floor. I pick up my plate and go to the elevator.

"What did I say?" I hear Tony mutter to Bruce.

I walk into the elevator and lean against the wall. The cool metal feels good on my back. I feel like I have a fever. I curse as I feel a stinging in my hand. Undoing my fist, I see five small cuts where claws have cut into my palm.


	5. Chapter 5

_"This is your new home," He said._

 _I was six, and excited. I had just been adopted! I could only imagine what would come next; a new house, a new family, and a warm place to sleep at night._

 _Ah, my ignorance was bliss._

 _I was confused at first when they showed me my 'room'. It was a cement cell with a cotton mat, and a toilet. I was told I could earn more things if I was good and learned fast._

 _I don't think they believed I would live long enough to last a week._

 _"No!" I cried, my hands and ankles cuffed down to the cold metal table. "Let me go! Please! No!"_

 _"This will only hurt for a moment," He whispered before sliding the needle into my arm._

 _I screamed as the serum flowed through my body, like liquid fire. My scream turned into a roar as claws popped from my skin and a tail burst out of my back. As soon as I calmed down, the cuffs popped open. I slid to the floor and cried for what felt like forever. When I looked up into a mirrored wall, my eyes were yellow, and my pupils were slits._

 _"She's a monster." I heard one voice say._

 _"She's beautiful." I heard another say. Him._

 _My first weeks were the roughest. Any emotion, any at all, would cause some change to happen to my body. Wings would sprout, or a tail, or I would grow gills like a fish._

 _"You will learn to control it, over time," He had said, holding my hand and walking me back to my cell."You just need practice, and encouragement."_

 _Slowly I learned to control my power, and I learned even faster when He started hitting me._

 _"You are older! It has been years! You should understand how to do it now!" He would yell._

 _"I'm sorry," I would whimper. "I'm sorry."_

 _I started to study anatomy and biology. That helped greatly with the I understood what my body was doing, it was easier to understand. I could now completely change into an animal, after I had studied it for weeks at a time. I was still changing accidentally, however. It was only occasionally, only when I became very upset or very scared, but it was enough to anger him._

 _And that was when he started raping me._


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up in bed, the sheets plastered to my body by sweat. I was shaking from the dream. My lights slowly grew brighter when I rolled out of bed.

I needed a work out.

After asking if there was a gym in the tower, he told me there was one on floor 22. I quickly grabbed my I-pod and a pair of headphones before going to the elevator.

The cool metal of the pull-up bar felt good against the cuts on my hands, made by my own claws.

 _1...2...3..._

I pulled my own weight easily, having done it since I was 10.

 _5...6...7..._

When was the last time I had lost control enough to let my emotions take over my powers?

 _9...10...11..._

years. That was the answer.

 _12...13..-_

"Mind if I join you?"

I yelped and let go of the bar. I fell to the floor on my side. All of my air blew out of my lungs.

"You okay?" I felt someone grab my hand. They pulled me up.

" You... you shouldn't... surprise people like...like that." I wheezed ,trying to get my breath. I looked up into a pair of startling green eyes. She had red hair falling into her face, and her cocky smile was kind.

" Kinda my job, surprising people. Mind if I join you?" She asked again. I gave a quick nod before grabbing the bar again.

"Thanks to you," I said, pulling myself up the bar," I have to start over. I lost count."

"You were at thirteen."

"You were watching me?"

"Also, kinda my job. Considering you ran out on dinner last night..."

"I don't like being the butt of a joke."

"With Stark? You're always gonna be the butt of the joke. Besides, he wasn't making fun of you."

I grunted. "Felt like it."

"Any way, considering you ran out, I didn't want to come in here if you were in a bad mood."

We both paused for a moment before I dropped down from the bar. I walked over to a treadmill.

"We normally go for a run after breakfast. Me and Steve." Natasha said, walking over to the pull up bar herself.

"I don't like to run with food in my stomach, But you and golden boy can have fun with that." I said, turning on the treadmill.

I heard Natasha snort. "Golden boy?"

I shrugged and sped up the treadmill to a jog. We both were quiet for a moment, our ragged breathing filling the empty space between us.

" It actually sounded amazing, what you did. You were falling from thousands of feet up, and you grew wings to save yourself. None of us can do that." She said quietly.

"It's not like that." I answered." I was panicking. Besides, it wasn't amazing. My wings were..."

"They were what?"

 _sloppy,_ I thought. " They can be painful to grow like that, on a spur of the moment. They literally ripped the skin off of my back. I might not always be able to do that."

I heard her drop down from the pull up bar. she walked over and turned off the treadmill.

"Do it." She said, leaning over the side of the treadmill.

"What?"

" Grow wings, or something."

"Why?"

"Because. Just, show me what they should look like when you aren't panicking."

"Again, why?"

"Because, it sounds amazing. and if you can do that, than you can do anything. Also, because I'm your elder and I said so."

I laughed before I stepped off of the treadmill and into the center of the room before taking off my tee-shirt. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on wings sprouting from my back and growing feathers. I could feel a hum starting on my shoulder blades-

"Am I interrupting something?"

I looked up and say Steve standing in the doorway, his hair damp and a towel over his shoulder.

And I was standing there in my sports bra.

I started blushing and pulling my tee-shirt back on. I walked over to the doorway.

"Who wants breakfast?" I asked over my shoulder.


	7. Chapter 7

I sighed as I dug through the fridge.

"Don't you guys have any food in here?" I yelled from the kitchen. "Just because your bodies can turn fast food into muscle doesn't mean you shouldn't eat real food once in a while!"

I re-looked over what was in the fridge. A couple of cartons of eggs, half a gallon of milk, and a couple of fast food boxes. There were also Kraft cheese slices, and a loaf of bread.

"Jarvis," I asked, aggravated," Is there any other food in this house?"

"Well, Madam graves, I believe there is a muffin in one of the cabinets, but is too moldy for me to recommend eating it."

I groaned and grabbed the gallon of milk, the cheese, and the eggs. Steve walked into the kitchen.

"We were just about to walk down to this little café-"

"No." I replied. "You are going to eat a home cooked meal. Now grab that loaf of bread and start up the toaster."

"I think I liked you better when you were quiet." Steve mumbled.

I grabbed a bowl and started cracking eggs before adding a splash of milk and salt and pepper.

"Nat!" I yelled, grabbing a pan and putting it on the stove. "How many eggs will you eat?"

"How many are there?"

I checked the fridge." Like, 15!"

"You might as well make all of them. Not only are you feeding five people, you're feeding five people with huge appetites."

I went ahead and tossed the eggs into the pan before stirring up another batch.

"Holy crap." I heard someone say. I looked up into the doorway and saw Tony with a cup of coffee in one hand. " Are you like, bipolar? Cause last night you wouldn't say a word to us, and now you're making us breakfast."

I rolled my eyes. "No, I'm not bipolar. I'm just planning on poisoning all of you. Do me a favor and set the table."

I started stirring the eggs."Steve," I asked, looking up, "What's burning?"

"That may be the toast." He said. "Is, uh, black toast edible?"

I walked over. "You may want to turn it down a little bit. Throw out the burnt stuff and try again."

"There's no clean plates!" I heard tony yell from the other room.

"Then use the fine china!"

"I don't own fine china!"

"Then use a friggin PAPER PLATE!" I yelled."NAT!"

"What?"

"You're on dish duty. ." I leaned over the eggs, stirring them ferociously.

"You want some help?"

I looked up and saw Bruce standing in the doorway. "Yeah, actually." He came over and grabbed the spatula from me. "you may want to go help Steve. He's kinda destroying the toast."

I smiled. "Thanks."

"Where did you learn to cook?"

I looked up from my plate of eggs. "I took a class online. Fury was convinced that it was unhealthy to spend day and night studying, so he told me to get a hobby. It didn't really stick, though."

"I'll say," Tony said, leaning back from his plate. "You burnt the toast."

"That was Steve." I said, laughing. "Besides that, it's hard to cook without ingredients. Once my paycheck gets here, I'm going grocery shopping."

"Just take your card." Nat said, shrugging.

"My card?"

"Tony didn't give you a card?"

"No. What card?"

"I kind of supply everyone here with food, clothing, and shelter. I'm like the team sugar daddy." Tony said, twirling his fork." Anyone way, everyone has a 'emergency' card, which I put a lump sum of money on. They can put their paychecks on it too, but usually they just mess around with the money on it until they get a paycheck."

"well then," I said, standing up. "Lets go shopping."

I heard footsteps into the room. Turning around, I saw Clint. He looked around me at the table. "Did I miss something?"


	8. Chapter 8

I gripped the handle of the shopping cart. Hard.

"Why are there so many people?" I whispered, sweat rolling down my brow. Natasha looked at me funny.

"It's a Walmart. It's always full of people."

"I wouldn't know that. Never been in a Walmart."

Nat stared at me, her mouth slightly agape.

"Yo!" I heard Clint yell. "There's a sale on oranges! I'm grabbing a bag!"

Nat looked up suddenly. "Don't! we never eat all of them." Not listening, Clint grabbed a ten- pound bag and tossed it in the cart. He looked at me for a second. "Aren't you gonna shop?"

I swallowed and nodded, gripping the handle of the cart again. Looking around, I walked the cart over to the bread section. Not noticing what I was grabbing, I picked up a baguette and a box of muffins.

"Mam? Can I help you?"

I looked up into the eyes of one of the workers. "Um, no, I think I'm good. Actually, can you point towards the pasta?" She pointed to aisle thirteen. I quickly perused the aisle before grabbing a couple boxes of angel hair. I stopped the cart when passing by what looked like pre-made squares of noodles.

I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Tony. " What're you looking at?"

I picked up one of the squares. "What's ramen?"

Tony looked at me for a moment before muttering a quick "Holy shit." He quickly pushed me to the side and picking up whole boxes of the little squares. "You may," He grunted, surveying the cart," want to go grab another cart. I'll go ahead and fill this one with groceries." He grabbed the cart. "What row are pop tarts on?" he muttered. I went and grabbed another cart before going and grabbing some vegetables.

I had just grabbed some asparagus and artichokes when I noticed Steve. He was leaning over the bakery counter, talking to the worker I had seen earlier. Not wanting to interrupt, I grabbed a package of green beans and walked on. It was then that I noticed that the store was split in half; on half food, and one half clothing/home stuff. I went ahead and walked over there and started to look over the aisles. One held cleaning supplies, and the next was full of dog toys. I continued walking until I reached an aisle that almost stopped my heart.

Books.

Tons and tons of books. Holy hell.

I walked over and grabbed one, crinkling it's pages. The only other place with this many books was the library on the carrier, but those were mainly files. I brought the book up to my nose and took a deep sniff. It smelled like dust, and maybe ink.

"What're you doing?"

I froze and slowly looked up. Bruce was standing at the end of the aisle, three or four button ups over his arm.

"I'm, uh, looking at a book."

"You were sniffing it."

"...yeah."

"...anyway."

"Yeah, was just, um, considering getting a book. So, you know."

"You can get three or four, you know."

"Ok, I'll see you later." And then I quickly took my book and walked over to the next aisle.

I'm. .


	9. Chapter 9

When we got back to the tower, I went to my room and hid beneath my covers, tossing my books onto the table next to my bed. I quickly fell asleep.

/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'

 _"Alexandra."_

 _A tear escaped my eye and slid down my cheek. "Please."_

 _"Get on the table. Now."_

 _Crying and sobbing, I shook my head. I backed up, my shoulder blades scraped the cold concrete wall. He grabbed wrists and threw me across the room, onto the table. Someone else, another doctor, shackled my hands into the cuffs._

 _"It will only take a moment, Alexandra."_

 _No. Nononononononononononono. Not again. Sobs wracked my body, and I struggled against the cuffs._

 _" Let me go!" I screamed, "LET ME GO!"_

 _Sharp pains shot across my flesh as the needles entered my body. Dozens of needles, held by dozens of doctors. Dozens of shining eyes staring over my body as I screamed._

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Alex, are you-"

I swirled on the attacker, baring my teeth. A growl ripped through my throat as a tail and wings sprouted from my back. Leaning down, I prepared to pounce-

On Bruce, who's eyes were wide and fearful. His arm was still held out as he had tried to comfort me. The growl caught in my throat.

And I ran from the room, dodging around furniture.

"Alex!-" I heard him call, but I was running, running, from my mistake, my past, my fear. I looked for somewhere to hide when my eyes locked onto it. A terrace. Running up to it, I crashed through the door and jump off of the ledge, snapping open my wings.

And I flew. I don't know for how long; it could have been seconds or hours. I flew until I reached one of the tallest buildings in the city. Crashing into the hard concrete, I allowed myself to sob. Even now, I could still feel the needles puncturing my flesh, I could feel his cold skin, see his shining eyes. I finally sat up and wiped my eyes, looking at my surroundings. It was the middle of the night, but cars still raced along the streets. I sat on the edge of the building, my legs and tail hanging over the end. I surrounded myself in my feathery wings, trying to keep myself warm. From where I was, I could see the tower clearly, with it's bright blue lights and swerving shape. I clicked the edges of my fingers against the roof, hearing my claws scrape it. When had those popped out?

And then I saw him. Red suit, flying out of the tower.

Tony.

Shit.

I stood up and ran to the other end of the roof, and I jumped off the ledge, snapping my wings open again. I flew as fast as I could, but Tony still caught up to me.

"Kid!" He yelled, his voice quickly flying back into the wind. "Kid, wait!"

"Go away!" I yelled back, swerving downwards. People on the streets below screamed as they saw me. Tony still stuck close to my tail. Aggravated, I swerved around a building and into an alley. Just before I reached the end of it, I moved sharply upwards, and then continued flying forwards. I heard a sharp thunk from below me as Tony ran sharply into the brick wall. I jolted and landed on the roof and ran back to the ledge. "Tony!" I yelled, looking down. He was picking himself up from the ground, groaning. He pressed a button on the side of his helmet before I heard him mutter something. I stepped back onto the roof before flying again. I quickly flew back to the building where I had been before Tony tried to catch me.


	10. Chapter 10

I cursed as my bare feet scraped against the concrete on the top of the building. This was rolling out of control to fast. I just needed to calm down and go back to the tower.

And face Bruce.

Or not.

I carefully jumped down into an alley before pulling my wings and tail back into my skin. I quickly walked out of the alley before taking a sharp right. I just needed to let some time pass while I kept off the radar. I just needed some alone time.

I got plenty of stares as I walked down the side walk. I was shoeless, not to mention my shirt was shredded in the back. I kept my eyes on the ground while I walked forward. I didn't stop walking until I heard the news pouring out from a sandwich shop.

"...And last night, this creature was seen flying over the streets. Luckily for us, New York's Tony Stark saved the day and apprehended the beast before it could cause any real harm." A grainy picture of my silhouette filled the tv, and I gasped. I looked like a fucking demon incarnate. My wings spread behind my, my scaly, thick forked tail swinging behind my body. My eyes... They were a bright yellow, and had slits for pupils.

"Hey!" The cashier yelled. "Unless you're gonna buy something, get out!" I stuttered out an apology and stumbled down the sidewalk. I couldn't focus on the people around me as the jostled and bumped into me. They muttered complaints as they moved around me, but all I could do was stare at the sidewalk.

I was a monster. That much had been made clear to me. And if I was a monster, then someone had made a mistake. I had nearly attacked Bruce last night. I had terrified all those people on the streets; they thought I was going to attack them.

I couldn't be an avenger.

Maybe I could sneak back into the tower later and grab my stuff. Then I could... what? I had no money of my own, and I wouldn't go back to living in the hele-carrier. If nothing else, I could use the emergency card Tony gave me and buy some essentials. Some new clothes, shoes, and a bus ticket. But no, then they would know where I went; they could track what I bought. Maybe I could fly wherever I needed to go?

I stopped suddenly as my toes touched grass. Looking up, I realized I was in central park. Kids played in the mud, business suits talked on phones, and vendors sold greasy food. I continued walking, slowly. I hadn't felt grass on my feet in months. I started when I felt a pull on my shirt. I turned around.

A little girl stood in front of me. she had a shock of red hair, and bright blue eyes.

"Why don't you have any shoes?" She asked, looking down at my feet.

"I, uh, lost them." I scratched behind one of my ears. The little girl continued to stare at my feet for a moment before pulling off her shoes, and then her socks.I stared in confusion as She quickly pulled her shoes back on . She handed me the socks, which were covered in flowers. She quickly turned and started to run away. "I hope you find your shoes!" She yelled over her shoulder.

"Wait!" I yelled back. "I don't need these!"

She was already gone. I quickly pulled on the socks before continuing to walk.

Why waste a gift?

I walked around the park for a few more hours before I climbed up and into a tree. I quickly fell asleep, comforted by the smell of nature.


	11. Chapter 11

"Alex!"

I groaned and rolled over. " Go away."

"Alex!"

My eyes fluttered open. I sat up, my hand scraping bark.

Crap. It wasn't a dream.

I leaned over and looked down the side of the oak. Far below on the ground stood Cap, in a hoodie and jeans.

"Come down here!"

My breath turned shallow in my lungs. I couldn't go down. He'd take me to the tower and, and-

I'd have to face Bruce.

I quickly stood up and leaned against the tree, my pulse quickening. "Go away, Cap."

"Alex, come down. It was all just-"

"Go Away!" I yelled. I quickly walked out onto a limb before jumping into the closest tree. I climbed slightly higher in that tree before jumping to another. I had to get away, and fast. Maybe I could lose him in the trees-

I heard muttering behind me. I froze as I saw Steve slowly making his way up the tree. He breathed heavily as he finally reached the limb I was on. "Don't," He gasped," Move."

I took a step back. "Go away, Steve. Leave me alone."

He ignored me."Do you know what has been going on at the tower? We have looked everywhere for you! Tony is combing the city, Bruce has gone through hundreds of security cameras-"

I sucked in a breath. "He has?"

"Yes! We've been worried sick! We thought you'd gotten mugged, or lost, or-or- SOMETHING!"

I took another step back. I raised my hands into the air, surrendering. " I'm sorry. What are you doing here?"

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Me, Nat, and Clint have been walking the streets. We've checked in alleys and abandoned buildings." He looked at me and shook his head. "Why did you run off?"

I froze. "Bruce didn't tell you?"

Steve shook his head again. "He was really vague. He said he had seen you run off, but he wouldn't tell us anything else."

I looked down. "He must have been... very worried."

Steve stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder. "We all were."

I sighed. "Call up the team. I'll come back to the tower. Just-"

 _CRAAAACK._

I had forgotten we were standing on a tree branch. While it held all of my weight fine, it couldn't handle the combined weight of me and Steve, especially once he stepped out onto the limb with me. Panicking, I used all my strength to push Steve back against the tree trunk.

His eyes grew wide. "Alex-!"

 _CRA-A-ACK._

I screamed as the branch bowed beneath my weight. There was no time to pull out wings. My leg gave a sickening crunch as I landed on it. I passed out when my skull smashed against the concrete sidewalk./div


	12. Chapter 12

I winced as bright light filtered over my eyelids. My whole body was aching, my leg especially. I tried to sit up. "What...?"

"Don't move." A voice said. I opened up my eyes room was hazy, fuzzy. The white light was bright overhead, and the room smelled like cleaner and medicine. I was in a hospital.

"Where...Steve?..." My whole body felt heavy, and the words slurred in my mouth. What drugs did they have me on?

A hand fell onto my shoulder. "He's fine, thanks to you. You, however, are not. He carried you back to the tower before bringing you here. You have a concussion, a broken leg, and three cracked ribs."

I couldn't think straight. The whole incident in the tree was a blur. " I... pushed him? Away... From the branch. Right?" I finally looked up into the face of the person I was talking to. It took me a moment to recognize him. Brown hair... Green eyes...

Bruce.

My whole body froze, my insides boiling inside of me. His eyes were full of concern as he watched me freeze up. "Alex? Are you-"

I slid my body away from his hand. My voice was strained. "Go away."

"What? Alex-"

"Go Away!" I ducked my head into my chest. I wrapped my arms around my head. This wasn't how I planned it happening. I wasn't ready. My breathing turned shallow as I tried not to move. I could practically feel my adrenaline burning off the numbing agents. My whole body ached worse.

Don't change don't change don't change don't change-

Bruce's warmth slid away from the side of the bed. "I'm leaving, okay? Just calm down." His footsteps echoed out of the room. I only had a moment to calm down before I had another visitor. I didn't unwrap my self from my pretzel shape until he spoke.

"You owe me a new suit, kid."

I sighed. " Shut up, Tony."

"Seriously, how did you move that fast?"

I leaned back against my pillows and rubbed my temple. "Tony, I have a concussion. I barley remember what two plus two is. I'll explain how I maneuvered when my brain has healed, okay? Right now, I just want rest."

Tony stood up. "Whatever. I know when I'm not wanted. I'll send in princess. He's been wanting to talk to you since Wednesday."

I froze as Tony ? How long had I been out? I had fallen on Wednesday, right? Or had that been Tuesday?

...Concussions suck.

I didn't move as I heard heavy footsteps enter the room. I had a seriously bad headache coming on.

"You okay?"

"Hey, Steve. I'm fine. Just a headache."

"I can call in a nurse-"

"No, seriously, I'm okay. You good?"

"Better than you. You look like shit."

I jumped as Tony called from the hallway. "Language!"

Steve shook his head. "Anyway...Thanks for-"

I waved my hand at him. "Don't. Don't thank me. It was just instinct."

"If it weren't for your instinct, we would both be in a hospital bed."

I leaned back against my pillow. My head was officially pounding. "How long have I been out?"

Steve scratched the back of his neck." It doesn't matter."

I clenched my fists. Something was wrong, I could feel it."How. Long."

Steve sighed. " A week. The doctors think that your body recovers differently. While it will only take it a couple of weeks to heal, your body needed to rest for a long time to jump-start the process."

"A week? Seven Days?" I whispered.

"Yeah."

"Well." I swallowed, trying to force my mouth to water. "Well, that's a hell of a long nap."

Steve looked at the floor." I'll send in the doctor. They wanted to know when you woke up."

I nodded and slumped down into my stiff sheets. "Okay."

In the few minutes it took the Doctor too arrive, I began to worry. A whole week? What would have happened if I had broken my spine? Would I have ever woken up? And what had the team been doing since I had fallen? Worrying themselves sick, probably.

I forced myself out of my thoughts once the doctor walked in. He was a short, wrinkling man. His hair on the top of his head looked like a thin sheet of snow that had started to melt. His nose drooped forward like a piece of melting wax. His eyes were small, and dark. He smiled when he saw me look up.

"Sleeping Beauty has awoken!" He declared, throwing up his arms. "How do you feel, Alexis?"

I chuckled. "Like a barrel full of monkeys, Doc."

The doctor walked over and looked at my charts. "I'm Doctor Tang, Alexis. We decided against putting your leg in a cast, as it was healing so quickly. Instead, it is in a simple splint. Now, while we had you on an I.V. for a few days, we took you off as soon as possible. We weren't sure how you're... Body would be affected by them." He squinched his eyes together. "It appears my nurses did not give you a Tetanus shot."

"A...Shot?"

"Yes, well, you fell from a tree, correct?" He didn't pause long enough for me to answer. " You could have an infected wound, tetanus, you know. You had quite a few cuts on you when your friends brought you in." He walked over to a drawer. "The shot keeps you from getting an infection. Or getting sick from a bacteria that infiltrated your system." He unbent himself from up over the drawer and smiled.

I froze when I saw what was in his hand.

The plastic casing of the shot glinted from the bright lights overhead. The needle was paper thin, and it shone in the light as well. The plunger on the shot was pulled all the way out.

My breathing became shallow." No. Nonononono."

The doctor's eyebrows furrowed together. "Come now, Alexis. It will only be a pinch."

The needle was warping. Growing thicker, growing longer. The liquid inside the vial was no longer clear; it was a bright blue. My chest seized.

"Alexis?"

My whole body was on fire. I put myself into a ball. My throat was tight. "NononononNONONONONO!"

I heard footsteps come into the room. The doctor's assistants. They would hold me down, hold me down onto a cold metal table, they would hurt me, would kill me-

"What are you doing to her!?"

"Nothing! I merely pulled out a shot-"

"GoawaygoawayGOAWAY!" I screamed at the top of my hospital gown ripped in the back as my skin pulled and stretched. My wings sprouted, along with the long, leathery black tail.I knew without looking in a mirror that my eyes would be yellow slits.

"Put it away, then!"

I felt long spines arch their way out of my back, just in-between my wings. As the claws sprouted, they cut long gashes into my forehead where I was holding onto my head. I couldn't breathe. Tears burned their way down my face.

"Alex? Alex, calm down."A cold hand wrapped around my wrist.I screamed.

More footsteps entered the room.

"Nurses, Hold her down! She's having a seizure!"

"No, You idiot, She's having a panic attack!"

The Cold doctor's nurses ignored the man. Hundreds, thousands of long fingers wrapped around my wrists and elbows. I wasn't strong pulled me out straight until I was lying flat on the table.

I continued to scream until the cold doctor laced me full of his poison. I screamed until the needle slipped into my arm.

I continued to scream until passed out.


	13. Chapter 13

I couldn't move.

I was awake again, I was breathing. I could feel my heart pumping. But I couldn't move.

And someone was holding my hand.

"...What was he thinking?"

"I don't know. God, a few more CC's and he would have killed her."

Tony and Bruce. What had happened? All I could remember was Doc leaning over a drawer and then... Blank.

There was a long pause.

"I thought you were gonna go green right there."

"I can control myself, Tony. It was just, seeing her like that..."

"Reminded you of someone?"

Bruce gave a quiet chuckle. "More than you know."

Another long pause. Footsteps entered the room.

"Hey, the food is here. Clint picked up some Chinese. Come on."

"I'll stay here." Bruce muttered. "You two go ahead."

A single pair of footsteps left the room. Someone walked up and beside my bed.

"You okay, Bruce?"

"Fine."

"And I'm the queen of England." I heard the annoyance in Nat's voice. "Don't lie."

"What do you want me to say, Nat?' I'm horrible because I feel like I'm staring at a flash from the past'? Yeah, that's real encouraging."

The edges of my toes and fingertips began to tingle. It took all my strength to wiggle them. Bruce didn't notice.

"No, Bruce. I want you to say that you can work through it. I want you to tell me how you feel. I want you to be honest with me, about everything. After you Flew off into the middle of the ocean-"

"That wasn't me!"

"On some level, Bruce, It was!" Nat yelled. "You can't tell me you don't have any influence over him!"

"I DON'T!" Bruce yelled back. He dropped my hand. I heard his chair scrape back.I could now move up to my elbows. I tried to sit up, to tell them to stop fighting, but I couldn't sit up by myself. My arms were just useless noodles.

"I don't." He whispered. "I... He knew how much I loved you. He knew, at some point, he would hurt you. He left to protect you. And, if he gets a chance, he'll do it again."

Nat was silent. I tried kicking my leg, and was rewarded by a gasp from the other two my leg soared into the air. Nat and Bruce immediately ran over and helped me sit up. I still couldn't move my neck, so my head rolled around like a bowling ball.

"Medithine...vear...off.." I managed to mutter. I had a terrible lisp; I was barely understandable. I raised a heavy arm to wipe my eyes. The room swam before my vision.

"Don't move." Bruce said. He started to pile pillows up behind me so I could sit up.

"...I'm...Vine..."

"You're about as un-fine as someone can get." Nat said, laying me back against the pillows. "Just sit still until the medicine finishes wearing off." I attempted to shake my head. I tried to sit myself up again, only to slump down farther in bed. "Need up." I could finally use my tongue, and speech came faster.

"What? Why? What's wrong?" Nat asked, checking over my body.

"Nothing. Chinese food. Now up."

Nat laughed and pushed me back against the pillows. "I'll go get you some, if Steve and Thor haven't eaten it all." She quickly walked out of the room.

"Thor?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah. He showed up not long after you got into the hospital... He's been wanting to say hi, actually. I hope Nat doesn't mention that you're awake yet."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, A giant stomped into the room. He was at least six and a half feet tall, with long ,messy blond hair. He was wearing a gray t-shirt and torn blue jeans. He had big, bright blue eyes, And a smile a mile wide.

"Alex!" He boomed. His voice was rich, and deep. He practically jumped over to the side of my bed before picking me up and pulling me into a crushing hug.

"Ribs! Not! Healed!" I gasped, trying to push the giant away. He dropped me back down onto the bed, where I struggled for breath.

"Alex, this is Thor." Bruce said, walking up next to the gargantuan man. He was forcing his mouth not to come up into a smile. "Thor. You obviously realize that this is Alex."

"Of course!" He said, his smile growing wider. "I owe you thanks, Alexis. If not for you, Steve would have been hurt rather badly. Instead, you took his place!"

"The next person who thanks me for pushing Steve," I grumbled, pulling my hair out of my eyes," Is getting a curb-kick."

Thor's smile fell. "Curb-kick?"

Bruce shook his head. "You don't want to know."


	14. Chapter 14

I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose. "This is so dumb. I can just use crutches!"

Tony laughed. "Hell no. Now sit still. You're making it really hard to steer when you fidget."

We were finally leaving the hospital, after a week and a half of sitting in there. My leg was almost healed, and the doc had told me we could take the stint off in a few days. Tony, of course, had decided I needed a friggin parade march out of the hospital. Someone had tied a dozen helium balloons to the handles of the wheelchair, along with a stuffed bear. We were finally at the door, and were just about to walk out.

I groaned again as we stepped out and through the doors. "You have got to be kidding me. Whose idea was this?"

Sitting outside of the hospital, long, red and sleek, was a limousine. Steve was standing in front of the door, motioning for me to get in.

"Tony's." Nat answered, laughing. "We're giving you a 'welcome back to the tower' Party. Kind of a celebration of you joining the team... and not dying from falling down a twenty foot tree."

I grumbled out a thank you before getting in the limo. The inside was all gold velvet and plush chairs. I groaned and quickly hopped out of my wheelchair and into a bench seat in the back. It wasn't until I looked out of the windows that I noticed the glass was tinted.

"Whoa, worried I might be noticed?" I asked, laughing. My laughing cut-off as soon as I realized no one was smiling. "What?"

Tony suddenly grabbed something from the fridge. "Who wants a drink? Cap?"

"I'm good."

"Bruce? Come on, guys! I didn't buy my own limo and stock it up with food so no one would eat it. Whatever. I'm having a whiskey."

I sighed. "Have you got a soda in there?"

"Cream, cherry, or vanilla?"

"Vanilla's good."

I stared out the windows as we rode back to the tower. The streets were crowded as ever- and the closer we got to the tower, the more crowded they were. People tried to press against the limo and look in through the glass. I pressed myself back against the seat.

"Guys? What's going on?"

Just then the limo drove into Tony's garage. Steve helped me out, and he and Tony held me up under my arms. We got onto the elevator.

"Guys?" I asked, nervous. "This isn't funny. What's going on?!"

Steve looked at Tony. "Uhhh..."

"Most of the population of New York see's you as Satan's child."

"Tony!"

"What? She has to know." The elevator stopped. Tony and Steve dropped me onto a black leather couch. The room was covered in streamers, and a cake sat on the table. Tony glanced at me. "Me and Bruce are figuring out what to do. For the time being, act like we didn't say anything."

"Like you didn't say anything." Steve cut in, glaring at Tony.

"Whatever."

The elevator opened, And Nat walked in with my stuffed bear and soda. "Sorry about that. Someone tried to follow us into the garage-" Bruce, who had followed in behind her, touched her shoulder. "Anyways, uh, what do you want to do first? It's your party."

Tony walked back into the room, carrying a large bag. "First, you all have to put on your hats." He reached into the bag and stuck a hat onto Nat's head. A large, red spider sticker was stuck onto the black hat. Tony went ahead and put his own on, which was red and gold shimmering paint. A small bit of glitter fell into his hair. Tony tossed me one.

"Tony, come on. I'm not six-" I looked down at my hat. It was bright green, and covered in paper scales. Someone had stuck a sticker to the back in the shape of wings. Before I could say anything, Nat came over and Stuck the hat onto my head. "It'll be easier if you just go along with it." She sighed.

"Where's Clint?" I asked, looking around.

"Just, uh, picking up some ice cream. Tony forgot."

Thor walked in, a bunch of boxes in his arms. " Sir Stark! I have procured the presents you asked me to bring in!"

I froze. " Hell no. TONY!"

Tony stuck his head from around the corner of the kitchen, which was right next door. "What?"

"Presents?! You're ridiculous! I'm not taking any of them."

"No choice. None of them are returnable."

I growled and tried to get up from the couch. "If you think-"

"Thor, give her the hammer." Tony said.

Thor walked over , Mjolnir in hand. Before I could say anything, he took his hammer and set it on my stomach, so I was stuck in a slouched position on the couch.

"Thor, let me up."

He laughed, his whole upper half bouncing. "Once the party has started, I shall." Before I could curse him out, he walked away. I groaned and crossed my arms. I tapped my left foot. If my leg would've just healed, I could've actually gotten out of there.

././././././././././././././

"open me and Clint's first!" Nat said, pointing to a red ribboned square.

I rolled my eyes. "You're all ridiculous."

We had eaten the cake, ( chocolate with mint icing; how they knew it was my favorite, I had no clue.) and now it was time to open my 'presents'. Thor had happily taken his hammer back when it was time to eat cake, so now I could sit up straight.

"Just open it; don't complain." She said, passing the box to me. I sighed and ripped off the black spotted paper.

"a... tube? Uh, thanks Nat, but-"

"It's a speaker, Dummy. For your music you always play at night." Nat said, pointing to the small audio jack I hadn't seen.

"Oh, thanks!" I smiled.

"Thor's next." Tony declared, tossing another box at me. This was wrapped in gold paper, with a silver ribbon. I stared at the item that came from within.

"Thor, I don't wear jewelry. Why a jewelry box? I mean, it's nice; I'm just not into jewels."

Thor laughed again. "Tis not a trinket box. It holds memories. Open the box, and insert a drop of blood while thinking of a memory. The box shall save it. Then, you must merely open the box and insert a hand. The memories shall flow from the box to your mind."

I stared at the deep oak box for a minute. "Woah. Where did you...never-mind, I don't need to know."

"I have one too." Tony said, laughing. "The nights with Pepper in that box-"

"Too much info, Tony." I said, setting the box aside. "Anything else?"

"Just me and Bruce's." Tony said, handing me a box. It was long and thin, with green paper and a blue ribbon. My brows furrowed as I opened the box.

"A... Cat suit?" It was a black full body suit, with small, diamond shapes spread across it.

" Put your arm in a sleeve." Bruce said, smiling.

I gasped as I slid my arm in. It didn't feel like cloth; it was like a second skin, soft and smooth. A thin, clear screen popped before my eyes; in the top right corner was my heart rate, and in the bottom right was a overall health list. 'Fractured leg' was listed. I glanced down at my sleeve; It looked as though it was just ordinary cloth.

" Transform your arm." Tony said, giddy. He was bouncing like a six year old.

"It'll tear." I said, confused.

"Just do it."

Nervous, I forced a layer of fur to grow on my arm.

I was shocked as the cloth morphed with my skin. It completely disappeared as the fur appeared; but I could still feel it. I quickly made the fur retreat before pulling my arm out of the sleeve. The screen in front of my eyes disappeared.

"What is it?" I whispered, holding the full body suit in my hands.

"A Mach one trans-muter. It has your DNA in it; it would only work for you. It changes with you, rather than tearing, like cloth."

"it obviously needs tested." Bruce said, his eyes glowing," But it looks like it works fine."

A thought popped into my head. "Where did you get my DNA?"

" Well... we may have gotten some hair off of your pillow." Tony said, shrugging.

I rolled my eyes. "That is the only time you will be going into my bedroom."

"We figured we would start testing as soon as your leg healed." Bruce cut in.

"Yeah, but that's later. For now, let's party!" Tony said, Laughing. I noticed he had grabbed a bottle of champagne.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine."


	15. Chapter 15

I sighed happily as the splint was taken off of my leg. I had been checking the progress everyday since the party, and it was finally fully healed. That meant that I could, 1., walk again, and 2., test my suit. As soon as I had taken the splint off completely, I undressed and slid into my suit. The moment I had it on, the visor flickered to life in front of my eyes.

I quickly walked down the stairs to Tony's lab, relishing the feeling of my leg moving. I froze, however, when I got to the glass door to His lab. A small, blue pad sat in the wall next to the door. I was surprised when my visor scanned it.

 _DNA scan pad. Please place fingerprint against surface_.

I hesitantly placed my index finger against the glass. A small beep resounded, and the glass door slid open.

"Welcome, Alexandra." Jarvis said as I stepped through the door. I looked around the lab as I walked in.

Tony sat at one table, slumped over. He was snoring quietly, a wrench held in his right hand. Grease had inched up his arms, and a long black smear across his cheek. I sighed. Glancing across the room, I saw a counter with a mini-fridge and a coffee machine. I walked over and started the machine. Once the machine started, the whole room filled with the smell of java. I poured a cup and walked over to Tony.

"Hey." I said, kicking his leg lightly. "Wakey wakey, coffee is ready."

Tony merely groaned and rolled over slightly. I sighed again and nudged him harder. He didn't even react.

"Need some help?"

I turned around and saw Bruce in the doorway.

"I don't think you'll be able to wake him any easier than me." I said, shrugging. Bruce walked over and took the coffee cup from my hand. He set it down gently on the table. He grabbed my wrist and took me across the lab, to a much cleaner and tidier table; His, I guessed.

"Jarvis," Bruce said, sitting down at his table, "Start up the ' good morning' protocol."

Before I could react, Tony's entire half of the room was... vibrating. The coffee tipped over, spilling over Tony's arm. He yelped and jumped up, the fell over because of the vibrating floor. I snorted as he struggled to stand, slipping around in hot coffee.

"-OFF! TURN IT OFF, JARVIS!" Tony yelled. As soon as the floor stopped shaking, he stood and glared at Bruce.

"I see the morning call works." Bruce smirked, his eyes twinkling. Tony merely grumbled and picked up his mug from the floor.

"Are... uh, you guys ready to start testing?" I asked as Tony refilled the mug. Tony perked his head up and smiled.

"Hell yeah! Come over here." He walked over to a panel near his table. He waved his hand, and a blue transparent screen popped up. A model of a girl was there, a scowl on her face and wings sprouting from her back.

It was me.

"I managed to grab a quick scan on you while you were trying to fly away." He said excitedly. "Now, if you look here-" He pointed to my back-" You can see that the wings attach directly to your shoulder blades. However, if you were to put them here-" he used his hands to move the wings across my back slightly, closer to the middle of my back-" Then it would be way more stable, not to mention more of a shield for your spine. We also think you should make them slightly larger, because a bigger wing span means faster flying."

"But," I interjected," It would make it harder to maneuver."

Tony waved his hand. "Technicalities that we'll figure out in testing. Now... We haven't quite gotten the testing platform set up, but hey. We'll figure it out. For now, just uh, do the thing in the middle of the room."

"The thing?"

"I don't know what you call it. Changing? Whatever. Just do it."

I sighed and moved to the middle of the room. I could feel the thrumming running through my shoulders, back towards my shoulder blades. My muscles stretched back, twisting over new, hollow bones forming. As they began to grow, black feathers slid over the skin and muscle. Once they were in completely, I stretched and rolled back my shoulders.

Tony chuckled. "That never gets old. Okay, stay still for a moment... scaaaaninnng... okay, great! Come here." I walked back over to his table, where he was fawning over a visual me. It was a x-ray; you could see all of my bones, and my muscle and nerve structure.

"Okay, so it looks like your bones are a little too thin. If you could get those about an eighth of an inch thicker-"

I studied the diagram. "It doesn't work like that."

Tony looked at me. "What?"

"It doesn't work in measurements and lines. It's... a feeling, a bodily reaction. I can't... make it do exactly what I want. I can get a ball park figure of what I tried to get, but nothing that specific. Not to mention how precarious it is to mess with. If I make them too thin, they snap. If I make them too thick, I'll fall out of the sky from the weight. I normally just find an equilibrium and stick with that."

Tony sighed. "Okay, well... can you try to make them slightly thicker?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll try."

I went back under the scanner, stretching my arms. Only an eighth of an inch. That was all I needed.

My bones began to thicken, becoming heavier. After a couple of moments, I stopped.

"Go ahead and scan." I said, trying to become used to the new weight.

Tony watched as the scanner filled in the new information. "Maybe a little thicker?"

I nodded. Before I could start Bruce looked up.

"Are you sure that's the best idea?"

Tony shrugged. "What could go wrong?"

Before they could say anymore, I began growing my bones again. This time, tony scanned as I grew them.

"A little thicker..." He said, watching. "More...more..."

Bruce looked up from his screen. "Tony! Alex, that's good. Stop now."

I nodded. I tried to stop my bones, but I couldn't.

"Alex, that's good."he said. I began to gasp for breath. "I can't stop." I fell forward onto my knees, the weight becoming too much.

"What?"

My gasping became quicker, more panicked. The wings were becoming too thick; they began to crush my back. It took all of my will not to fall flat onto the floor.

Someone was yelling. My sight was becoming hazy; the edges of my vision were black. I barley winced as I felt a tearing on my , thick liquid began to cover my shoulder blades. I slid down to the floor, my cheek pressed against the cold tile. My chest became cold, and my breath began to slow. The black began to cover me like a thick blanket.

I screamed as I felt a shock pulse it's way through my body. The black disappeared; it was replaced by blinding lights.

"Alex? Alex, are you okay?" Bruce said, half picking me up. He shook me slightly. I blinked and shook my head." What...what happened?"

"The suit... it was sucking the energy from you. It assumed that your DNA needed to constantly change, and after a period of constantly changing wouldn't allow you to stop. Your wing...one of them tore."

"O-oh." I was sucking in breaths as fast as I could. I slowly reached back and touched one of my wings. They were soaked in blood, but I couldn't feel much pain. The magic of adrenaline. I slowly and carefully made them retract, before pain could begin to set in. I sighed and shakily stood up, with Bruce's help. "How did you stop it?"

Bruce looked at the floor." Alex... your heart stopped. I used the emergency defibrillator."

I froze. I had...died. Now that I looked around, I did notice the small case nearby with two pads connected to wires. I shook out my arms. "Well, I owe you-"

I was cut off as Tony and Steve came running into the seeing me, They both ran over.

"Just sit down." Steve said, pushing me toward Bruce's chair.

"Steve-"

"I'm an idiot!" Tony said, pacing in front of his desk. He ran his hand through his hair. "I almost killed you!"

"Tony, it was just a mistake. After you work on the suit a little-"

"You think I'm making another one of those death traps?! YOU ALMOST DIED!"

" You're going to tell me the iron man suit didn't need some work-shopping?" I tried to stand up, but Steve pressed a hand down on my shoulder. "Look, next time we can start more slowly. Maybe even have a more complex testing setup so we can tell if it starts to happen again."

Tony glared at me. "No." He quickly turned and walked from the lab, leaving sticky red footprints behind.

Steve let me go. "You okay?"

I nodded and stood, shaky. I had lost a good amount of blood.

"You need to go to the hospital?"

"No!" I immediately snapped. "I mean... sorry, I can't. I just got back." I turned to Bruce. "What now?"

Bruce sighed and stared at his hologram. "I'll talk to him. For now, go clean yourself up and rest. No using that suit."

I nodded and made my way to the door.

./././.././././././././././

Sorry for the long wait guys! now that i'm out of school, chapters will start coming faster!


	16. Chapter 16

I was making breakfast the next morning when Tony walked into the kitchen, Dark circles under his eyes. I looked up from the pancakes I was making.

"Want some?"

He shook his head before rubbing his eyes.

"I can make eggs or something. You have to eat something, Tony. You can't live on coffee and scotch forever." I smiled to show I was joking.

" I'm okay." He looked at the tiled floor before sighing. "Look, Bruce and I talked... We're going to remake the suit, but it's going to be on trial. If anything goes wrong again, I'm not making another."

My heart began to soar. " Really? Tony, that's great! We just have to start slow, with something simple. Maybe scales or fur, or something small. Oh, but you have to finish the testing platform-"

"Your pancakes are burning." Tony said, yawning. I yelped and quickly flipped what was in the pan. "And don't worry about the platform, Jarvis and I got that up last night." He stretched and reached into the cupboard for a mug. " I'll have the new suit done by next week."

"What about Bruce? Isn't he going to help you?" I placed the half burnt pancake onto a plate.

"Sadly, Brucie, Cap, Clint,and Thor are all needed at shield for the time being. Thor, Clint and Cap are out doing some recon , and Bruce is researching for some Tech needed by Fury."

"Nice of them to tell me bye." I grumbled, pouring another pancake into the pan.

"They'll be gone for like, a week. You'll see them soon."

"Why doesn't Fury need you?"

Tony shrugged. "He didn't say, and I didn't ask. Nat is still here, though. You two can go do girl stuff, if you like."

"Yes, because when two females come together, they must do something incredibly feminine." Natasha said, stepping into the kitchen.

"Exactly." Tony said, filling his mug with coffee. "Thanks for summing it up for me, Nat."

Natasha rolled her eyes. She picked a plain pancake off of the plate before taking a bite.

"What are you doing today, Nat?" I asked.

She swallowed. " I'm actually going out. I need to go pick up some new weapons."

"Tony? What about you?"

"I'm starting on your new suit, and then I have a party to go to at nine. Meaning, of course, that I'll show up at eleven."

I sighed." Of course I'm the only one not doing something. Even when I'm on a team, I can't do anything useful."

"Well... after I leave, you could go check out the new platform." Tony said, stirring his drink.

"Really? Isn't, that, like, you and Bruce's lab? I don't want to intrude."

"Go ahead. Just, uh, don't blow anything up."

I laughed. "No promises."

/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'/'

Hey guys! Sorry for the short chapter, but i promise to make up for it in the next one. Be sure to leave a review!3


	17. Chapter 17

Hey guys! If this is your first time entering the story, be sure to go back to chapter 1! Br sure to leave a review!

/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/

I smiled as the door to Tony's lab slid I had finished breakfast, I had spent most of the day online, looking for new clothes and furnishings for my room. Time had seemed to pass quickly, and it was already night again outside.

The soles of my feet slid across the floor silently. The testing pad was huge; it rose three and a half feet of the floor. It was all white, with light blue accents. I quickly climbed the sleek stairs and stood on top of the large circle. A desk stood at the edge of the platform. I walked forward. It was the same sleek white as the platform. There was no computer. Taking a guess, I slid my finger across the surface. Immediately the hologram of me popped up, along with a second screen. This one was covered with ratios and schematics. Smiling, I slid around the various holograms to look at the data.

"Hey, Jarvis? How much info about me does Tony have?" I said, sorting out the files. After a moment of silence, I looked up.

"Jarvis?"

No reply.

Confused, I messed with the computer for a moment before finding the search bar. I quickly pulled up the keyboard and typed in JARVIS.

Nothing.

Confused, I leaned over and started looking through the files. I found one titled AI; I scrolled through, not finding anything. I sighed and hopped off the platform. I walked over to Tony's desk and looked around, hoping he had left a note of some sort explaining what was up.

I did find a note, but it didn't mention JARVIS. Tony's handwriting was slanted. I read trough it quickly.

 _Alex,_

 _When you pull up the computer, type in the code 6718; there should be a little gift for you!_

I jogged up to the desk and typed in the code. I was surprised to see that a small compartment opened up on the top. After it finished sliding open, I saw a small, sleek bracelet, and a small earring. I slid the bracelet onto my hand; it immediately adjusted to the size of my wrist. a small hologram popped up; it showed my heart rate, and my number of steps.

Tony made me a fitbit?

A small note popped up.

 _Hey! Okay, this will basically give me data on your body 24/7; heartrate, injuries, anything. It also has a phone, and a camera! When you get this, send me a message. To take a pic, hold your finger on the screen for 3 seconds. If you want to send a message, slide your finger to the right across the screen. A keyboard will pop up! The earring is for phone calls; youll get the notification on your bracelet if someone calls._

 _C u later,_

 _Tony_

I shook my head and quickly sent Tony a text telling him I had gotten his message. I quickly clipped the earring on before I turned back to the computer, prepared to see what adjustments Tony had planned on my hologram. Before I could start, a small pop-up appeared on the screen.

 _Stat up Simulacrum?_

 _Yes no_

Confused, I clicked onto the yes square. A small loading bar appeared. After a couple of moments, I heard a small dinging from my earring.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" I heard over my right shoulder. Shocked, I turned around. There was no one there.

"Calm down there! I didn't want to startle you."

The voice was slightly smooth and deep. It reminded me of coffee; it had a certain roughness around the edge. It was clearly American.

"What? I-"

"I'm Simulacrum; The AI to replace JARVIS. Tony made me specifically with you in mind. My whole being was created to help you with your specific powers."

"Wait, what about JARVIS? Is he just gone? I couldn't find his file-"

"Yes, I'm sorry about that. In order for me to be made, Tony had to...clear some space for my data. Don't worry, though, Stark can always bring him back." Simulacrum said. I felt as if he was always over my shoulder.

I sighed and rubbed my temple. "Okay so I just- look, can I shut you down? Only for a short while? I need to talk to Tony about it. You."

"He's already been notified. He's requested that I stay with you at all times, and that I monitor your health and body. I'm truly sorry that I make you uncomfortable. If you would like, I can show you some settings to help you configure how I work."

Without any action from me, a hologram popped up from my bracelet. It showed several options for configuring Sim; These included internet access, volume, and something labeled 'telecommunication'.

"What's, uh, this thing?" I asked, swiping it across the screen.

"Oh, that enables silent conversation. The earring will pickup brain waves and thoughts and allow me to reply through silent vibrations. Only, of course, if you need to. Say, if you were in a public place, or a scenario were you needed to remain silent during a mission."

I felt my eyes widen. "Damn." I quickly turned that on, along with internet access. I heard Sim give a quiet sigh as I turned on the internet.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"Sorry, Alexandra. It's just...this may take me a few moments to process. It's a lot of information to gain at once."

After a couple of moments, a ding resounded.

"Alexandra, I think we shall be great colleagues." Sim said, a smile in his voice.

I smiled, making sure my face was turned towards the camera so Sim could see me. "You know what, Sim? I was thinking the same thing."


	18. Chapter 18

I jolted awake in bed. Gasping, I sat up and pulled my hair out of my face.

 _"Trouble sleeping?"_

I jumped and started to grow claws, before realizing it was only Sim. His voice was silent, only in my head. I sighed and shakily stood up.

"yeah. Yeah, sorry. I just..."

 _"Your heart rate and brain waves have highly accelerated. Anything I could do for you?"_

I quickly slid into a pair of sweatpants and jeans. It was 6:00 am; might as well get up for the day. "I'll be fine. Don't worry, Sim."

 _"Whatever you say."_

I went down to the kitchen and started the coffee machine. After frying some eggs and making some toast, I made a couple of plates and carried them down to Tony's lab. I quickly slid open the door and stepped inside.

"Hey, Tony! Made Breakfast!" I said, the door closing behind me. After looking around for a moment, I realized Tony wasn't there.

"Sim, where's Tony?"

 _"Stark is at the party, crashed on a couch."_

I set both plates down before sitting and starting to eat my own. After a couple of moments, I noticed a small whirring sound.

"Tony building something?"

 _"Stark is working on a new suit. It is going to be his... strongest one yet."_

I stood and walked toward the sound. After walking up to the wall, I quickly found a finger scanner. After scanning me, a panel opened in the wall. What was inside didn't look like much; the frame work of a suit, with a small amount of hardware inside.

"It needs a bit of work."

 _"Stark doesn't have all of the hardware needed to build yet. He has work bots finishing the last machine needed. He also needs some more parts."_

"Like what?"

 _"Certain minerals and wiring among other things."_

I walked away and sat back down at Tony's desk. After eating my breakfast, I went back upstairs. Nat wasn't around; I wasn't shocked. I wrote a file to Fury about my opinion of the team. After about half an hour, I was notified on my watch that a delivery had been dropped off. I took the elevator down to the first floor.

"Package for... Alexandra Graves?"

Confused, I signed the paper the delivery man gave me. I quickly took the box back up to my room and cut it open.

A typed note sat on top of the box.

 ** _Alex,_**

 ** _Sorry, I forgot that I had a package sent before the party. If it shows up, I need you to take it and insert it into my suit in the lab. Simulacrum will show you where it is._**

 ** _-Tony_**

I stared at the note, confused. Tony was a distracted guy, but if something concerned one of his machines, he wouldn't forget. Not to mention, his note seemed clipped and awkward. Nevertheless, I went ahead and took the package down to his lab. Once down there, I unwrapped the package in the box. It was a slim, glass tube. A rock of some sort sat inside. It was silver and iridescent, with thin blue lines arching through it.

"Sim? What is this?"

 _" The mineral needed for Stark's suit. If you just take it over to his suit, I can guide you through the process of putting it in."_

"I don't think that's a good idea. I wouldn't want to break it. I'll just put it on his table-"

 _"No!"_ The sound of Sim's voice was a roar in my ear. There was a moment of silence.

 _"I'm sorry, but Stark insists that you put it in."_

"Look, just send him a message telling him I can't . I'm sure he'll understand."

I jumped as the panel in the wall slid open on its own. _" Go put it into the suit, Alex."_

A shiver went up my spine. Something was wrong; Sim was malfunctioning or something. I gently sat the mineral back into the box before setting the box onto Tony's desk. "Sorry, Sim."

I left the lab. Sim was silent; even when I tried asking him questions, he wouldn't answer. After a couple of minutes, I got a message from Tony saying that he would be on a plane within a few hours, and I decided to have him check on Sim in the morning, since Tony wouldn't get onto a plane until late tonight.

I should've just shut Sim down, in hind sight. Especially now that I know what he caused.

/./././././././././././././././././

Hey guys! Don't ya just love those cliff hangers? Be sure to leave a review!


	19. Chapter 19

_"Alex."_

I blinked in the darkness, half asleep. "Sim?"

 _"Alex, there's been an emergency. Stark needs your help."_

I sat up, rubbing my eyes. "What? Slow down. What's happening?"

 _"There was an emergency on the plane. Stark needs his new suit."_

I stood up and began to run down to the lab. "What happened?"

 _"A group of terrorists have threatened to shoot down the plane. The new suit has a auto-flight ability; it can fly over to the plane and pick up Stark. Then he can take down the terrorists._ "

The door to the lab slid open. A large, boxy machine sat in the middle of the lab; I assumed it was the machine that Sim said would finish the suit. It reminded me of a coffin."What do I do?"

 _"Slide the vibranium- the mineral- into the suit._ "

I picked up the mineral. The panel in the wall slid open, and the suit sat inside. It seemed to stare at me.

"Where do I put it?"

 _"There should be a cavity in the chest. Slide it in, and wait for my instructions."_

I opened the chest cavity. A red hot, burning metal container sat there. I cursed. "I can't touch this!"

 _"Grow a thick layer of scales on your hand. It won't make you heat proof, but it will make you extremely resilient."_

I rolled up my sleeve and did so. They were dark green and shiny. Shaking, I slid the vibranium into the slot. After a couple of moments, it began to melt and slide through various tubes. They framed the entire metal skeleton; after a moment, the mineral began to meld with the plain steel.

 _"Now. There should be a cord in the bottom of the panel. Hook it up to the back of my helmet."_

Struggling to reach the top of the suit, I did. "Why is this suit so big? Tony isn't this tall."

The suit began to light up. Small, red pupils lit up in the lenses of the mask. "Sim? Are you going to answer?"

Nothing.

I turned towards the coffin. "Now what do I do? Sim?"

I gasped as a cold metal hand wrapped itself around the back of my neck.

"Nothing, Alex. You've fallen for everything perfectly." He turned me around so I was facing him. He tried to smile, but the metal suit lacked teeth. "By the way, My name isn't sim, but you may have heard of me. I almost ended all of humanity."

I struggled against his metal fist. My fingernails broke as I clawed against the vibranium infused arm. I was gasping for breath, but I managed to gasp out a single word as the realization hit me. "U-ultron."

He smiled. "In the flesh. Well, not yet. But you'll make that a reality."

Before I could scream for Natasha, he slammed a fist into my face, and I blacked out.


End file.
